MFT Sketch Challenge #374

Happy Monday! I miss the weekend already, it went by so fast! I have a bright and cheerful card for MFT’s sketch challenge. Hopefully it brightens your day!

I took a little break from MFT challenges, so I could focus on the new products I picked up in February. It’s nice to be back with a simple sketch!

And here is my card!

I’m sharing 2 picture as the one in natural light (2nd pictures) doesn’t really show how shiny the sentiment is.

My first step was to get out the dies I planned to use, and lay them out so I could decide on placement.

Next, I die cut a rectangle frame from Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Cardstock (Simon Says Stamp’s Stitched Rectangle dies) as well as the larger card panel. Using my Gemini, I was also able to cut out my sentiment and the rectangles at one time.

I used the smaller rectangle die to cut a mask out of Inkadinkado Masking paper and added it to my card panel. Then I blended Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink, going for an ombré look. Once I had the ink blended the way I wanted it, I sprayed Sparkle Shimmer Spritz and also water on it. I blotted the water with a paper towel, then dried the panel with my heat gun.

Next, I added foam tape to the frame, and applied it to the inked panel. To help make sure I lined the frame up correctly, I used a scrap piece of release paper (this one is from the back of the magnetic sheets I use to hold my dies).

I put the release paper down, covering most of the panels. Then, I position one side of the frame, make sure the rest is lined up correctly, and press it down firmly. Pulling out the release paper, I continue to push down firmly on the frame, until it’s cleared the frame.

As you can see in the picture above, I had already cut out my heart balloon’s (MFT) from MFT’s Silver Sparkle Cardstock. I also cut it from Pure Plum and Cotton Candy. I then cut the balloon strings from Lawn Fawn’s Black Licorice (I used this for the sentiment too). I adhered the balloons to the frame, using foam tape where they didn’t overlap. I couldn’t really use foam tape for the strings, so I glued the ends at the bottoms down with Multi Medium Matte.

This is where the Nicole factor steps in on this card… I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use the Lacquer pen from an older My Monthly Hero kit, which I’ve never used before, on the Hooray sentiment (MFT). I also knew that I wasn’t going to apply it to the sentiment while it was on the card. That is just a recipe for disaster. Guess who waited until the end to apply the lacquer. Yup, this girl! So I had to wait for it to dry to add it to the card. And I got impatient, so if there is ever a point where law enforcement needs my fingerprints, check the last two letters on the sentiment.. I eventually added it to the card with more Multi Medium Matte. I’m a little worried about the Y just hanging off the end, and will probably glue it down, or try to get a really tiny piece of foam tape under it, once the lacquer is really dry.

The card base is Gina K Design’s Passionate Pink, and I stamped “Heck Yes! It’s Your Birthday!” inside. That great sentiment is from the Anything But Basic Birthday Wishes from the February release. This is a great stamp set filled with tons of non-standard birthday greeting.

This card was so fun to make! I kinda took a crafting break this weekend, not producing the volume of cards I’ve been making since before Christmas. I still have some new products I haven’t used a whole lot, but I needed a break. I only made cards that made me happy, things I really enjoyed. That’s what the weekend is for, right? Having fun, no pressure! Anyway, I’m trying to change my approach to card making, so it feels more like something I do for fun and less like a second job. This means I may scale back the blogging a little bit. I want to be a little more fluid, and not force myself to make cards just so I can blog about them. We’ll see how it goes!